At the opening of this book Deborah is settling in with her new husband, Sheriff's deputy Dwight Bryant, and her stepson,8 year old Cal. Cal is trying very hard to fit in and Deborah is doing her very best to help the young boy adjust.

As a local judge she is presiding in the courtroom where her case load is becoming more and more devoted to the Hispanic migrant workers and the obvious resentment of the local residents.

As she delves into the migrant workers’ living and working conditions, her husband Bryant is called out to investigate a series of found body parts. An arm on one side of the county and leg found somewhere else. Gruesome to be sure and it appears that no one is missing to be the victim.

Meanwhile in Deborah's wonderful family, the fate of the farm and what should be grown there breaks out in a huge debate with even the youngest members of the family allowed to give their opinions and have them heard. Tobacco does not seem to be the money crop it once was and alternatives are being sought.

As always Margaret Maron never fails to please. I live in the mountains of North Carolina, but the characters and the issues they face are so close to home I feel as if I just walked down the road for a visit with old friends.